Mumbai: Citing inflation, legislators want hike in allowances

The current inflation has spurred legislators to demand a hike in pension and allowances from the government. Ex-legislators want the current pension amount, which is Rs 25,000, to be revised to Rs 35,000. Also sitting members of the state assembly and state council are believed to have demanded a hike in salaries of their personal assistants.

Number game Currently, an allowance of Rs 12,000 is paid to legislators for their personal assistants. The legislators want the amount to be upwardly revised to Rs 15,000. Currently ex-legislators, apart from their minimum allowance get a hike of Rs 1,000 for every year of having served in the legislature. Former legislators want the Rs 1,000 amount to be raised to Rs 2,000.

A former MLC said, “Due to the inflation it has become difficult to survive on the current pension amount. So we’ve requested deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and parliamentary affairs minister Harshwardhan Patil for a hike.” Pawar and Patil recently attended a meeting to listen to the demands. After their approval a formal proposal will go before the state cabinet for final approval. According to sources, both ministers were positive of allowing the hike but the proposal may not be tabled during the ongoing budget session.

Pawar, who is also in charge of the finance department, reportedly told the legislators that a formal proposal will be moved during the monsoon session of the state legislature. Currently, legislators are entitled to approximately Rs 70,000 to Rs 75,000 every month. Besides this they get free rail travel, a limited number of air trips and a vehicle for conducting tours in their constituencies.